Golden Butterfly, 2022
This project was made with the process of welding and forging. This project reflects my personal struggle to be a "social butterfly" and the pressure that can sometimes come with being introverted. It also represents my love for classical music, hence the name "Golden Butterfly" after my favorite classical song by Ludovico Einaudi.
Materials: Steel rods, craft wire, gold spray paint.
Vessel, 2022
This cement vessel was another project made through a mold-making process. It started with making a model out of clay, then covering the clay with plaster. After waiting a few days, I cracked open the mold very carefully, the plaster then became the mold I would use to pour the cement into. Finally, I decorated the sculpture with gold leaf, shells, and mosaic tiles. This piece represents the Holy Trinity. God is the vessel that protects us, the purpose of the vessel being Jesus and how he pours out His life for us, and the Holy Spirit is represented by the decoration, showing a flow, similar to how the Holy Spirit flows through us.
Materials: Terracotta clay, plaster, cement, gold leaf, shells, mosaic tiles.
Chrysalis, 2021
I wanted to experiment by making a sculpture mold entirely from recycled material. I took recycled milk cartons, cereal boxes, etc... and poured my plaster mixture into the finished mold. Once I took it out of the mold, I shaped it into a chrysalis. I wanted to make a chrysalis to represent the similarities between these two growth processes and how long they take. The process of making a sculpture from recycled material and a caterpillar into a butterfly.
Materials: Various recycled items, plaster, acrylic paint.
© 2022 by Emily Chapin.